Boise needs an Apple store

An Apple store is so very desperately needed in Boise. Please Apple if you're listening don't leave us stuck between long drives and our unsatisfactory local choices. Sure we have Boise Mac Life which looks like a great store. When you look a little deeper, though, the advice has been suspect (should one really wait six months to start using Leopard?), the prices are inflated (the "cash discount" price is the list price and the list price shown is higher) and the service leaves us wanting.

Earlier this week we returned home and the MacBook hard drive promptly died. When it came back today it had the wrong OS on it -- a problem I've never encountered with Apple's service directly. Sure it had a nice embroidered Marware keyboard cover, but the time I'm left looking at that waiting to reinstall the operating system on a blank disk just so I can then do the file recovery is making me not like it so much. (Though I sense there are some Drupal keyboard covers in the offing).

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Las Vegas has three now. Still not directly in the casinos (Forum Shops is pretty close) but one day I'm sure.
And can you believe there are still lines at most of them for the iPhone 3G? Get yours yet?

Well, I must say that after visiting the Bellevue Square Apple Store, and having been a Boise resident for 13 years, we really do need one! Visiting the Bellevue Apple Store was an awesome experience, although there were about 50 people crammed in that little suite. But the way they had it laid out was well planned. They had about 15 iPhone 3Gs (there was always an open display unit), 6 Macbook Air's (again, at least one open) and a ton of ipods and computers (so many, that there was always at least one open for use). I loved every minute I spent in there. And I normally hate crowded places.

I wish I had an iPhone 3G... still searching the couches for loose change :)

There is a so called apple affiliate store, Mac-Life out on overland but they don't have a lot, and while they are very friendly, the service is the worst I have seen. If you bring your computer in for repairs, prepare to wait. After waiting several days for what we were told was an over night repair (wasted trip- not done) we were told we were being pushed back again because one of their "elite" customers jumped in line ahead of us.

My introduction to that store, which I've visited many times and not spent a dime, was on the eve of Leopard's release. The explanation given to another customer, about waiting 3-6 months before using Leopard because it was going to be very buggy etc. really didn't sit well.

But as I mentioned in the post the thing that always puts my wallet back in my pocket, even when I plan to spend money. It's the annoying upcharge on credit cards. Sure they couch it in "cash discount" terms, but the "cash discount" is the MSRP and the retail price is the same price with a few points added. Finally I get annoyed enough to leave and go elsewhere.

I was just in Portland at the Pioneer Square Apple store and heard, again for the second time there, that Boise's getting an Apple store. That fact is supported by the recent job posting on Monster, see above. Hurray!!!

Its good to see Apple is listening and expanding their store base where customers really need and want them. It is not often you see this happening and it's actually kind of cool to come across an instance where they listened.

Submitted by Brian on June 7, 2011 - 15:09

Said on Twitter...

Installed https://t.co/aPjLRTcJB5 today… very interesting use of screen flashing to communicate settings to the unit.18 hours 47 min ago

@merlinofchaos Yeah that part is of limited use but now days they just can’t seem to stay online...1 day 44 min ago